For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.

SUMMARY COMMENTARY

SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

As at 30 June 2006, the preliminary Estimated Indigenous Resident Population (ERP) in Western Australia was 77,928 (3.8% of all people in Western Australia).

Some key characteristics of the Indigenous population in Western Australia, based on 2006 Census usual residence data, are listed below.

More than half (56%) of Indigenous respondents were under 25 years of age.

On average there were 3.5 people per Indigenous household.

An Australian Indigenous language was spoken at home by 14% of Indigenous respondents.

36% and 19% of respondents aged 15 years and over stated Year 10 and Year 12 or equivalent respectively as their highest level of schooling.

53% of Indigenous respondents aged 15 years and over were in the labour force. Of these respondents, unemployed persons accounted for 14%.

The most common Occupations reported were Labourers, Community and Personal Service Workers, and Technicians and Trades Workers (28%, 15% and 12% respectively).

The most common Industries of employment reported were Public Administration and Safety (17%), Health Care and Social Assistance (16%), and Education and Training (9%).

62% of Indigenous households were living in rented dwellings and 30% of households were living in dwellings that were owned with or without a mortgage.

Summary Characteristics, Western Australia

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

no.

no.

no.

no.

no.

no.

Persons(a)

Estimated Resident Population(b)

39 289

38 639

77 928

1 000 364

980 753

1 981 117

Language spoken at home

English only

22 428

24 041

46 469

. .

. .

. .

Australian Indigenous Languages

3 692

3 925

7 617

. .

. .

. .

Other Languages

327

295

622

. .

. .

. .

Total(c)

26 447

28 261

54 708

. .

. .

. .

Education

Attending

Pre-school

704

680

1 384

13 069

12 264

25 333

Infants/Primary

4 633

4 318

8 951

81 413

76 759

158 172

Secondary

2 338

2 217

4 555

55 180

54 984

110 164

Technical or Further Educational Institution(d)

440

591

1 031

19 228

20 084

39 312

University

227

547

774

30 892

40 930

71 822

Other/Institution not stated(e)

1 012

1 184

2 196

13 350

15 674

29 024

Total(c)

9 354

9 537

18 891

213 132

220 695

433 827

Highest year of school completed(f)

Year 12 or equivalent

2 615

3 449

6 060

314 563

337 224

651 786

Year 11 or equivalent

2 086

2 621

4 708

81 314

84 133

165 449

Year 10 or equivalent

5 316

6 058

11 376

188 559

185 887

374 450

Year 9 or equivalent

1 923

1 887

3 806

41 046

39 273

80 321

Year 8 or below

2 165

2 023

4 193

34 989

36 147

71 141

Did not go to school

529

554

1 082

3 754

4 924

8 679

Total(c)

14 631

16 594

31 224

664 233

687 599

1 351 832

Highest non-school qualification(f)

Postgraduate Degree

40

59

99

18 628

12 773

31 401

Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate

31

78

109

7 556

12 950

20 506

Bachelor Degree

261

646

907

77 623

93 799

171 422

Advanced Diploma and Diploma

270

544

814

48 970

65 582

114 552

Certificate Level

2 276

1 764

4 040

182 861

85 008

267 869

Total(c)

2 878

3 091

5 969

335 638

270 112

605 750

Work

Labour force status

Employed

8 520

7 126

15 649

500 572

412 312

912 889

Unemployed

1 428

1 180

2 603

17 292

16 341

33 632

Total labour force

9 944

8 305

18 249

517 861

428 657

946 521

Not in the labour force

6 769

9 522

16 287

170 479

283 170

453 649

Top three industries for Indigenous persons(g)

Public Administration and Safety

1 393

1 203

2 596

. .

. .

. .

Health Care and Social Assistance

1 002

1 542

2 544

. .

. .

. .

Education and Training

324

1 066

1 390

. .

. .

. .

Top three industries for non-Indigenous persons(g)

Retail Trade

. .

. .

. .

42 005

60 608

102 613

Health Care and Social Assistance

. .

. .

. .

18 821

73 132

91 953

Manufacturing

. .

. .

. .

66 498

20 179

86 677

Top three occupations for Indigenous persons(g)

Labourers

2 951

1 490

4 441

. .

. .

. .

Community and Personal Service Workers

669

1 677

2 346

. .

. .

. .

Technicians and Trades Workers

1 555

246

1 801

. .

. .

. .

Top three occupations for non-Indigenous persons(g)

Professionals

. .

. .

. .

82 729

88 809

171 538

Technicians and Trades Workers

. .

. .

. .

128 723

21 619

150 342

Clerical and Administrative Workers

. .

. .

. .

28 856

104 566

133 422

Mean weekly equivalised household income ($)(h)

. .

. .

447

. .

. .

777

Dwellings

Occupied private dwelling(i)

. .

. .

18 382

. .

. .

684 784

Average household size

. .

. .

3.5

. .

. .

2.5

Average number of Children under 15

. .

. .

1.2

. .

. .

0.5

Housing tenure

Owned outright

. .

. .

1 410

. .

. .

219 360

Owned with a mortgage

. .

. .

4 172

. .

. .

260 306

Rented

Private

. .

. .

3 734

. .

. .

134 129

State/Territory housing authority

. .

. .

4 758

. .

. .

23 863

Community housing group

. .

. .

2 063

. .

. .

2 993

Other

-

-

685

-

-

13 186

Landlord type not stated

. .

. .

223

. .

. .

5 731

Total Rented

. .

. .

11 463

. .

. .

179 902

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

(a) Based on place of usual residence.

(b) Estimates at 30 June 2006 are preliminary and subject to revision. See Glossary. Note: Final estimates have now been released and are available in publication 3238.0.55.001 - Experimental Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, June 2006.

(c) Excludes persons whose response was not stated.

(d) Includes TAFE Colleges.

(e) Other includes persons who are attending but did not indicate the type of institution.

(f) Persons aged 15 years and over.

(g) Employed persons aged 15 years and over.

(h) Comprises persons in households in which there were no temporarily absent adults and all incomes were fully stated.

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